What're differences between ISTEXT ISNONTEXT ISNUMBER?

Hello everybody

I try to compare the result of using ISTEXT ISNONTEXT ISNUMBER

Please see the sample file for your understand.


Range B3:B15 Naming as Data

When I input '200 or ="200" after that using ISNONTEXT ISTEXT ISNUMBER to
check data the return results are FALSE TRUE FALSE.

When using isnumber istext isnontext to check data in cell B2 (contatin
2) return True, False, True.

When check the blank cell ISNONTEXT return True while ISNUMBER return false.
These results was come in my doubt that why using ISNUMBER return FALSE not return TRUE. Because in my understand that ISNONTEXTmean is the data that we determine is number or not


Thank you for your advice.

sincerely yours

Type one of those function name in the Help field and when the results come up choose IS Functions.... there Microsoft explains how each works and what returns are expected

Originally Posted by NBVC

Type one of those function name in the Help field and when the results come up choose IS Functions.... there Microsoft explains how each works and what returns are expected

Dear NBVC

I had used MS Excel Help online before posting here and found that there is no descriptions about the differecnces

Here is the Help online of IS Function that I copy paste:

IS Functions
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This section describes the nine worksheet functions used for testing the type of a value or reference.

Each of these functions, referred to collectively as the IS functions, checks the type of value and returns TRUE or FALSE depending on the outcome. For example, the ISBLANK function returns the logical value TRUE if value is a reference to an empty cell; otherwise it returns FALSE.

Syntax

ISBLANK(value)
ISERR(value)
ISERROR(value)
ISLOGICAL(value)
ISNA(value)
ISNONTEXT(value)
ISNUMBER(value)
ISREF(value)
ISTEXT(value)

Value is the value you want tested. Value can be a blank (empty cell), error, logical, text, number, or reference value, or a name referring to any of these, that you want to test.

Function Returns TRUE if

ISBLANK Value refers to an empty cell.
ISERR Value refers to any error value except #N/A.
ISERROR Value refers to any error value (#N/A, #VALUE!, #REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!, #NAME?, or #NULL!).
ISLOGICAL Value refers to a logical value.
ISNA Value refers to the #N/A (value not available) error value.
ISNONTEXT Value refers to any item that is not text. (Note that this function returns TRUE if value refers to a blank cell.)
ISNUMBER Value refers to a number.
ISREF Value refers to a reference.
ISTEXT Value refers to text.

Remarks
The value arguments of the IS functions are not converted. For example, in most other functions where a number is required, the text value "19" is converted to the number 19. However, in the formula ISNUMBER("19"), "19" is not converted from a text value, and the ISNUMBER function returns FALSE.
The IS functions are useful in formulas for testing the outcome of a calculation. When combined with the IF function, they provide a method for locating errors in formulas (see the following examples).
Example 1

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

How to copy an example

Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.
Note Do not select the row or column headers.



Selecting an example from Help

Press CTRL+C.
In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Formula Auditing Mode.

1
2
3
4
A B
Formula Description (Result)
=ISLOGICAL(TRUE) Checks whether TRUE is a logical value (TRUE)
=ISLOGICAL("TRUE") Checks whether "TRUE" is a logical value (FALSE)
=ISNUMBER(4) Checks whether 4 is a number (TRUE)


Example 2

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

How to copy an example

Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.
Note Do not select the row or column headers.



Selecting an example from Help

Press CTRL+C.
In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Formula Auditing Mode.

1
2
3
4
5
6
A
Data
Gold
Region1
#REF!
330.92
#N/A
Formula Description (Result)
=ISBLANK(A2) Checks whether cell C2 is blank (FALSE)
=ISERROR(A4) Checks whether #REF! is an error (TRUE)
=ISNA(A4) Checks whether #REF! is the #N/A error (FALSE)
=ISNA(A6) Checks whether #N/A is the #N/A error (TRUE)
=ISERR(A6) Checks whether #N/A is an error (FALSE)
=ISNUMBER(A5) Checks whether 330.92 is a number (TRUE)
=ISTEXT(A3) Checks whether Region1 is text (TRUE)

The help file specifically says that Isnontext() will return TRUE if cell is blank:

ISNONTEXT Value refers to any item that is not text. (Note that this function returns TRUE if value refers to a blank cell.)

Maybe a quirk of the programming behind the function or maybe on purpose for other reasons that one may find useful when testing cells....? I am not sure.

And a blank is neither a number nor text..therefore ISNUMBER() and ISTEXT() both return FALSE